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I spent half last night trying to figure that out. Yeah, I chose my options when I was 13, but I didn't take them until I was 14. I remember because we took French in first year, French and German second and third, and then we chose which we'd continue doing, in forth and fifth.

It's not really what you were asking about, but I also wanted to comment on what Equinox Chick said about the school's celebrating differant days of differant cultures. I'm not sure if it's the school her children go to, the area she is in, or if England really has changed that much. (which is a good thing) My primary school didn't really do that, but that was eleven years ago, I think, and it was a Church of England school. (Every assembly our head teacher would read us a passage out of the bible- i thought they were really neat stories, for the record- and then we'd sing a hymn.) It wasn't really pushy religious, they just taught us the values of the religion, as opposed to "you should worship the Lord" My family aren't religious you see...

I just wonderered what other things have changed in British schools over the years due to all these politically correct things that keep flying around?

It's not really what you were asking about, but I also wanted to comment on what Equinox Chick said about the school's celebrating differant days of differant cultures. I'm not sure if it's the school her children go to, the area she is in, or if England really has changed that much. (which is a good thing) My primary school didn't really do that, but that was eleven years ago, I think, and it was a Church of England school. (Every assembly our head teacher would read us a passage out of the bible- i thought they were really neat stories, for the record- and then we'd sing a hymn.) It wasn't really pushy religious, they just taught us the values of the religion, as opposed to "you should worship the Lord" My family aren't religious you see...

I just wonderered what other things have changed in British schools over the years due to all these politically correct things that keep flying around?

All state schools in Britian are legally required to have a daily act of Christian worship. Most schools do this in assembly, as you describe - normally a moral lesson and then linking it to the Christian belief. I attended Catholic schools until my GCSEs, so we more obvious religous worship. There was a mass once a week in my secondary school, though it was voluntary, and there were masses at the begining and end of terms, and for any important day that turned up. I believe schools with a large majority of non-Christian children can apply to... someone... to be excused from having a Christian act of worship, if they provide some other kind of moral/spiritual/religous guidance.

There is defiantely more of a push to educate children about other cultures and beliefs. It's important for children to understand that people are different, whether it's religous belief, race, the kind of family they are from, social class, ability, and so on. If children learn about it from a young age, it becomes accepted. It's important for children who are not from white Christian backgrounds to feel accepted as part of the community, and also its important that children learn about the wide range of people who live in our country and the world, because in their lives that are going to encounter all kinds of people, at university or at work, and so on.

I work with pre-school children, and part of the curriculum is about accepting and celebrating differences in cultures and beliefs, and that carries on through the school curriculum. Of course, the extent to which it is done depends on each school. I've worked in nurseries where very little is done (and had quite a few 'discussions' about it!) and I've worked in nurseries who are brilliant at it.

I don't know what else has changed. I know when I was at primary school I organised a petition to let girls join the school football team, but I'm fairly sure that's changed, or at least I hope so!

I just wonderered what other things have changed in British schools over the years due to all these politically correct things that keep flying around?

Well in my primary school we used to sing hymns and occasionally pray, if you wern't Cristian or whatever you just didnt sing, and didnt pray. Obviously England is a Christian country so I think most schools lean toward that kind of thinking although lots of other religions now live in Britain aswell, they just have choice whether or not to join in. I remember when we had a "Harry Potter" day at school, some peoples parents made them stay off school becuse they didnt agree with magic, but when I was younger you were just given the option not to participate. If you didnt want to pray or sing hymns you doint go into assembly, simple as that.

In secondary school, religion is hardly ever mentioned, I dont know whether they still sing hymns in primary schools, but in my secondary school, no religion is ever seen to be better or more prominant than the rest. We have used to have RS (religious studies) lessons, but our school recently changed them to PD (personal developemtent) lessons instead, these now include learning about different religions as well as drugs and growing up and things like that.

But as to things that have changed, I suppose most school (unless specific religious schools) don't pray in assembly anymore. We obviosuly have "Christams holidays" and "Easter holidays" but that is beacuae we are in a Christian country, people of different religions have the same holidays, they just don't celebreat the events.

I just wonderered what other things have changed in British schools over the years due to all these politically correct things that keep flying around?

Well when I was in Primary which is now coming up to five years ago, we had a different country day, which was a different country for each year, you'd learn about the food, culture etc and sample the food. In Years 5 and 6 we also had a Gumboot dancing day, where we did the dancing with a man from Africa (where it originated) and also we had a communication thing with a school in France. So I would say my Primary was very cultural.

My Secondary school is totally different. Depending if you're on the Left or Right of the timetable you either do French or German. You can only drop that subject for Years 10 and 11, if you were in the very bottom set so like set 6, or you chose a Vocational Course as an option, or you refused to take it. However the majority took the subject. Maths, English, Science, IT, and some form of R.S either full course R.S., ASDAN, or half R.S. and half P.S.H.E and some form of P.E. either BTEC, GCSE or Dance BTEC are all complusory, and the language if you are not taking a Vocational like explained above. Which means we only choose two GCSE subjects.

I think the only cultural thing we do is we have close links with the African Children's Choir.

Question: Could someone help me with a british form of the phrase: hook us up. As in, "maybe you could hook us up with the big guy?"

Do you mean hook up with romantically, or hook up with someone as in join their gang? I'm assuming that you mean Marauder era as well. (I'm thinking that sometimes 'us' is used to mean 'me' - it's a dialect thing especially in Northern England)

Perhaps 'meet up with' or 'arrange a meeting' although that sounds rather formal. - if it's romance then 'pair me up with'. I wouldn't use 'guy' for Marauder era, although the word was being used, it was seen as quite American in the seventies and I doubt the wizarding world would have used it - 'bloke' is very British, or just use man.

Names - bear in mind that the children were born in the fifties/sixties.There were far less parents giving their children unusual names. Muggleborn boys would have had names like John, Jonathan, Andrew, Simon, Tony, Paul, Micheal, Matthew, Scott, Christopher - quite boring names really.

Girls - Hmm, well if they were upper class muggleborns then they tended to have slightly more unusual names (thinking Camilla, Lucinda etc) - normal families would call their girls names like Gillian, Kay (there was an actress of that era and the name was popular), flower names (Daisy, Lily, Rose etc) Clare, Jennifer (very popular in the sixties) Alison, Susan.

Surnames - Unless you're going for wizarding families, then just stick to the same type of ones that JK uses (Thomas, Smith, Evans).

I think you just need to avoid American names and modern names - so no Brookes, Taylors, Kyles, Kylies, Aleishas or Beyonces (I know you wouldn't do that )

We would normally say just say "It's one o'clock." And then if someone looked blank we'd specify 'in the morning' or 'in the afternoon'.

If you mean the twenty four hour clock, then we do use it if someone needs to know a specific time that a train leaves ('seventeen forty five') but on the whole I think we're more comfortable saying 'a quarter to six' instead.

An american I know online who lives in britain says that the 24 hour clock is much more common than in America. On my computer and my oven the clock is in 24 hours. My brother can't read a 24 hour clock, he's dyslexic.